Word to the Wise
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - Tuesday in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 10:1-10 and Mark 3:31-35]"Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you." But [Jesus] said to them in reply, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
My memory for movies is not great, but I seem to recall in the motion picture, LION IN WINTER, that Katherine Hepburn, playing the role of the Queen, after a particularly violent scene with King Henry (I think played by Peter O'Toole?) turns to the audience and says, "Every family has its little problems!" (Or words to that effect!) I think of that scene when I read in Mark 3 about Jesus relatives coming to "seize him, for they said, 'He is out of his mind!'" Every family has its little problems! You have to go back to verse 20 to read the beginning of the story and then "fast forward" to verse 31. The relatives of Jesus (and note that his mother is among them!) are trying to do the equivalent of an "intervention!" In general, the gospels show that Jesus' family was not excited about his ministry and notoriety! (The Gospel of Luke seems to except Mary from that!) Even in the Gospel of John, Jesus' does not commend his mother to one of his male relatives, which would have been the cultural practice! He commends her to the apostle, John! (John 19:26-27)
Family matters. And family matters can be messy! The question of being "related" to Jesus did arise and the gospels make it clear that the usual expectations about "blood kin" in the Middle East did not apply when it came to Jesus' kingdom! John and James learned that even their close association with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry would not entitle them to a special consideration - at least not the consideration they wanted! What we learn is that we can all be "kin" to Jesus if we follow his teachings and do the will of God! But if we claim that kinship, we have to live it as well! AMEN